Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-24

the public journals have added to them
the wise Observation-Disclosures omit flow
ers," md many others have the still bet
ter sdmonition - "Interment private
The sdmonitions, forced by love of lavish
display, teach the lesson that all should
earn and the lesson that would save
thousands of poor families from starva-
ton or severest sacrifice for months after
q funeral, merely to crafty the vulgar
taste for pomp and idle ceremony in the
burial of the dead.
This tendency to parade snd display on
funeral occasions is oppressive upon the
largest portion of citizens in every COM
munity, for the msjority of the people in
every city or neighborhood are in moder-
ate or stringent circumstances. They
feel compelled to initiate those of for
tune in ostentatious respect for the dead,
and, between costly csskets, flowers,
carriages, and decking whole fam
lilies in the barbarous babli-
men;s of woe, they often involve them
selves in debts which they can
not pay, or must practice the seyerest
seIf-denisl for months thereafter to de-
fray the cost of what is simply m0ckery
of honest grief. 1t is not only needless
but it is 8 buTlesque of the sincere sor
row that is felt for the dead. The as
sumption that love for the dead is exhib-
tied in profusion OF costly flowers, or
in g costly casket, or in q long line of
costly carriages, for the idle look
ers-on. is simply farcical. 1t
strips the owe for the dead OF its
hottest offices, and transforms funeral
into the empty pomD OF vulgar parade,
while it impoverishes many to the verge
Of want. And why is it done? Simply
because many of those who can afford 1t
make parade of funerals, as it parade
and exravag&nce were tributes of respect
for the dead and the poor, often more
sincere in their grief, are taught that the
measure of respect for their loved ones
who are called away is the measure of
pomp and extravaganza exhibited IN their
burial.
The world is growing in intelligence,
and as it advances in enlightened civiliZs-
ton the simplicity of funerals will surely
follow. just as intelligence increases,
the love of hollow pomp and ceremony is
diminished, and the seyerest simplicity 10
the burial of the dead will be q certain
outgroWsh of higher standard of Gull
ture among the people. The yul-
ger display Of studied extravaganza
is g relic OF ignorance as the os-
tentatious parade of woe IN unhealthy and
unsightlv Grape is q relic OF baTbarlsm,
adopted and softened by the caprice OF
fashion, and both insult the sincere grief
of the honest heart. The burial of the
dead is solely the affair OF the sorrow
! smitten household, and bereavement can
| have no taste or tolerance for the pa
geant that invites the idle multitude and
that exacts oppressive tribute from the
poor. 1t is simply want OF
broad intelligence that makes
the Stewards and the Vanderbilts
erect great burglar proof vaults
to protect the remains Of their dead from
| the grasp of the thief who would steal
them for 8 ransom. Had they erected q
| crematory and incinerated the bodies, as
did the most enlightened OF the earlier
civilizations, they could preserve ELL that
can be preserved of their departed friends
in the beautiful urn and make it house
hold treasure; but they teach eXtraYa-
gance and ostentatious display, and, in
the case of Stewart, it is not even certain
that his dust rests under the costly
monument that is inscribed with his
name.
There is every reason for simplicity in
funerals. Simplicity is the only thing
that harmonizes with the grief of the
home that is Swallowed by the angel OF
sorrow ard the ostentatious display Of
bereavement under the ftful regulations
of fashion offends the affectionate memory
OF the dead. Let pulpit and press and intel
ligent teachers of everyClass unite to bring
into Gisfsvor the ostentatious display of
costly funerals and costly fantastic
mourning apparel, and the poor will not
alone be protected from needless and op-
pressive expenditure, but all will be pro-
tected from the vulgar pomp and cere-
mony which ever mock those who
sincerely mourn the loss OF their house
hold gods.